Lotus Flower
by The Solo Song Warrior
Summary: I am not a normal girl. I know that some girls have just one parent or none and they don't let it interfere with their personalities, but it effects me. I never knew my father, only my mother. But I don't think I really do know her. So since I didn't I marked myself incomplete. But now...I think I'm gonna find the rest of me.
1. My Past

M.K. and Nod were walking in the forest, with a spritely little girl that was four skipping and giggling between them holding their hands. They smiled as she let go and ran off to look at some mushrooms. Four years after M.K. had graduated high school Nod had asked her to marry him. She had said yes and soon after they married they had a little girl with a strange gift. The power of the forest.

Around M.K.'s neck was a crystal the same color as her hoodie with a book in the center attached to a thread that only had enough length to have the gem hang slightly under her collarbone. Nod had one that was a light brown with a sword and bow and arrow in the center that was wrapped around his neck several times. Their daughter had one that was pure green with a fully bloomed lotus flower in the center, too long for her toddler body.

The necklaces weren't ordinary accessories. They were given to them by the queen and gave them the power to shrink to the size of a Leafman or Stomper. They meant to head to Moonhaven, but something happened that stopped them. The forest suddenly became dark but they thought that a cloud was blocking the sun. But after shrinking their daughter was clinging to Nod's leg in fear. That's when Ronin came.

He had arrived on his bird in full armor, a look of worry in his eyes. "You need to get out of here," he said as he dismounted. "What?" Nod said as he tried to calm the little girl that was starting to hurt his leg. "The Bogans are back," he said, and M.K. had to clutch her husbands arm to keep from falling. Before Ronin could explain, a wave of darkness was headed towards them, a blood curling shriek following.

The little girl screamed in terror as Ronin left to fight while Nod and M.K became big and started to run, their daughter in her mother's arms, clinging for dear life. The forest felt her fear and tried to hold off the darkness till they were in a safe place. "Mommy! Daddy!" the girl screamed, as it looked like the darkness was chasing her. The adults couldn't respond because they were trying to run to keep her safe.

Even after they reached their home the little girl still shook in fear, wanting to know what that was.

* * *

My mother and grandfather had always told me stories of these two inch tall people called the Leafmen since I was born. I believed in them for a while and would always go out into the forest with my mother and father to look for them. At least... I think I was with my father. I don't remember him. My mom says he was around when I was younger but had to leave for work for a while. Like for the rest of my life.

He never came back, and my mother says nothing more about him. Nether does my grandpa. Hi, I'm Lotus Flower. Friends and family call me Lotus or L.F. And when I said use to believe in the Leafmen, I meant it. I haven't looked for them or believed in them since I was, like, seven. My mom and grandpa still talk about them, but I just zone out. I'm fourteen for crying out loud! I don't have time for fairy tales.

I live in the forest in my grandfather's house in my mom's old room. My mother doesn't allow me in in her room like when I was a toddler anymore and whenever she goes into the forest alone she tells me not to follow. I feel like my whole life has been a secret. The only thing I remember about my dad was his callused yet soft hands and he had a reckless behavior. I think.

My mom always seemed to have dreams of memories, so says my granddad. Whenever she has them she looked like she had cried in her sleep or was in shock. I use to ask her but gave up after ten tries. Like I said, my life is one big secret made of other smaller secrets. I don't know which secret is bigger, who my dad is, where he is, what my mom and grandpa are hiding, or me. I think I'm a secret.

Science says that you inherit at least half of who your parents are and the rest is up to you on how their personalities are suppose to be used or how you make them into your own personality and what to add. But I've only known my mother and even she's half a secret to me. Maybe it wasn't science, maybe it was my own opinion. But anyway, I don't know my dad, my mother hides things... So who am I?

I am currently in my small room at my desk, my right hand drawing even though I wasn't thinking or really looking at my work, while my left petted a sunflower in a pot I had put on my desk a while back. There's a knock at my door but I don't look up. "Come in," I said. The door opened to reveal my mother in her normal clothes, a small smile on her face.

I had always wanted my mothers looks. Her red hair in a perfect pony tail with perfect bangs, faint freckles on me, her pale skin, her pine green eyes, her nose, even her clothes. But I wasn't that similar to her. I had her nose and eyes, but I had hair as brown as rich, moist soil, and it was long and curly with a swept to the left and a braid. As for my skin, I had a tan look with only a few freckles.

As for my clothes, I have a pink shirt on under a green jacket with a pair of purple pants on. I wore some boots because I went out into the forest a lot and the only accessory I have on is my necklace that I never take off. My mom says that my dad gave it to me when I was born. I never take it off because I thought that if I always wear it, then maybe my father would come back. Silly, right? But I still do it.

I remember that my mom is in the room so I got out of my thoughts and watch her sit on my bed. From where she is she looked at my drawing then back to me. "That's the best you've done all week," she said. I knew she was trying to create small talk but it never works with me. "Thanks," I say, going back to the drawing.

I only really saw my work after I finished it, but my hand knew that my drawing was finished because it couldn't think of anything else. Since I didn't know my parents personalities I don't have one. My friends think I have the habits of speaking what I think, talking about nature, getting good grades. But I think that these weren't a part of me, just things I do. Anything that seems like a talent, I don't know if they're a part of who I am.

Since I was done with the drawing I pinned it onto my mini billboard hanging over my desk. It had pictures of me when I was little, some "A+", some awards, and former drawings. The one I had just finished was of a big rock in the forest surrounded by water and had moss growing on it. I never knew where my mind got these ideas. It couldn't have been a dream, because I barely dream. And it couldn't be my imagination, because I don't have one yet.

My mother seemed to stare at that picture and I took the time to look at her. She was an adult but still dressed and looked like a teenager, but she also looked incomplete. She soon noticed that I was staring at her and turned to me but I just turned back to my desk, where a new piece of paper waited to be used. It was early in the morning for the last day of school. Probably why mom was in my room.

I went to school in the city, even though I hated it. The city was a place where they took nature for granted. That was the one thing I was sure that I liked, nature. Mom looked like she was about to say something, but there was a honk coming from outside that meant Larry was here with his cab to take me to school. I picked up my backpack, walked past my mother, and left the room.

Downstairs my grandfather was in his study writing some notes down beside the picture of a beetle he had caught yesterday. Ozzie got up from his dog bed and ran to lick me goodbye. I laughed as he kissed me and Grandpa wished me a good day at school. Mom came down in time as I opened the door to kiss my forehead goodbye. Saying goodbye, I opened the door to the cabs backseat.

When the door was fully closed and I was buckled, Larry drove off. I sighed as I watched the forest zoom by. I wish I knew who I was. And I also want to know more about my father and for my mother to stop hiding secrets. As Larry turned on the radio, I looked ahead, to the city that I would be free of for three months.

* * *

Nod flew down on his bird at the entrance of the palace. He dismounted and walked to the entrance, the plants moving to clear the way for him. He entered a room full of flowers and took off his helmet and kneeled. On a platform the queen had just finished talking to a woman before turning to him. "What do you have to report?" she asked as she walked down the steps to meet him.

"The Bogans have taken another part of the forest," Nod answered, still kneeling. "At this rate they'll reach us before the unexpected Pod Ceremony. Do we really have to do it?" The queen smiled at the Leafman and walked to a flower bud. "You know we have to. It's the only way," she said as she touched the bud, making it bloom.

"But-" "But nothing, Nod," the queen said gently as she stepped in front of him. "You knew the day would come. You will have to meet with her. Even if the outcome will be... intense. Understand?" The queen walked towards a door as Nod answered. "Yes, Your Majesty." The queen nodded and left the room, leaving Nod alone.

* * *

The last class of the day had just ended as I walked to my locker hugging my science notebook, math textbook, and sketch book to my chest. As I turned the nob to my locker, my friend Pam walked up to me. "Major boy drama," she says. I rolled my eyes and prepared for the gossip Pam would give me today. She knew I didn't really do anything with it, but she needs at least one person to tell.

Sometimes I wished I was like Pam. Perfectly curled blonde hair, sea blue eyes, pale skin, the ability to pull of a purple dress and tights, and to walk in heals without tripping. She was so bubbly and exciting that I wanted to be just like her, a total party girl.

As she spoke, we walked out of the building towards the cab with Larry in it. Before I got in, Pam asked me something. "So when's your party?" "The tenth of next month," I reminded her. That was the date of my birthday. "Kay. Text ya later," she said as I smiled goodbye and closed the door. "Good day?" Larry asked me, looking at me through the rearview mirror. "More or less," I answer with a shrug.

As he drove I told Lar about the plans for my birthday. I say to him that the cake would be red velvet with chocolate filling and frosting with ice-cream served with it. In the center would be a big, fully bloomed lotus flower with my candle stuck in its pollen. There would be pink, green, and white streamers hanging overhead. He gave his opinion that it would be great if they saved him a slice of cake.

When we arrived at my house I say goodbye to him and walk up the steps and enter the house. My mother was there in the hallway with one hand fingering he own necklace. "Put your stuff away and meet me in the forest," she said as she went around me and left. I shrugged as I went upstairs to my room and threw my bag on my bed.

I hurried to the forest but a few storm clouds came overhead. "Well, that's just great," I said as I continued to move through the forest, calling out for my mom. "Come on, Mom," I said annoyed as I heard thunder overhead. Something moving fast caught my eye as I stopped to catch my breath. I saw three, no, seven humming birds flying around me.

I get scared at the thought of me being lost came to me. _The map_ , I think as I reach into my messenger bag I always bring hen I go into the forest. I pull out a mini map of the forest my grandpa gave me and opened it, only to have it blown out of my hands. "Nooooo!" I groan as the hummingbirds continued to fly around my and I try to shoo them away.

A drop of rain hits my head and I looked up to see that water would soon start pouring down. I spot a hole in a nearby tree and wish that I was small enough to stay in it till the rain cleared. Suddenly I a queasy feeling takes over me as my necklace starts to glow and drags me around. My feet are lifted off the grond and I scream as things fly around me and the forest becomes bigger.

I feel myself fall and my back hits the ground and I give it my all to not throw-up. I hear several thuds and as my vision blurs I see at least eight figures above me. Then my whole world goes dark.


	2. Moonhaven

I slowly regain consciousness and hear voices. "I'm starting to regret this," one said. It sounded familiar but my hearing was still full of ringing. "Oh, I think she's waking up," another said. "I don't think I'm ready," one said. "I could hit her and knock her out again," another spoke up. "No! Absolutely not," a new voice said. "Don't you think she's been through enough pain?" the third voice asked.

I open my eyes but I have to squint because there was a light staring into my eyes. "Mom?" I say "Yes, sweetie?" The first voice says to me. I almost jump that my mother was here but I continued as I sat up. "I had...*yawn*...the most craziest dream," I say as I stretched. "Uh-hu..." Her voice sounds worried but I can barely notice it. "Yeah, I was in the forest, my necklace glowed, and I think I shrank."

I look around to find myself not in my room, but in a big one made of rocks, and the bed and pillow I was on was made of a sack of cotton made of leaves while the blanket was made from sewn together leaves. I find my mom sitting on a stool next to the bed. Near the wall were a few people and... a giant snail and slug?! A scream escapes my mouth as I point at them and nearly went unconscious again.

I pull the blanket over me again, as if it'll protect me. _This is just a dream, this is just a dream. You'll wake up any moment now and you'll find yourself in your room._ I repeat this several times before I took a deep breath and sat up, the blanket falling off my head. I find myself face to face with the giant snail. "Hello," it says. A short shriek escapes my lips as I back up to the wall.

The wall wasn't far so now I feel trapped. "I'm Grub," the snail says as he holds out what I think is a hand. "Ummm...Lotus Flower," I say, hesitantly taking it. "Pleasure to make your aquatints, Lotus," he said as he shook my hand furiously, leaving a buch of slime on my hand. "Ew," I whisper to myself as I grimaced and wiped my hand on the blanket.

I get off the bed and hide behind my mother. "Don't be scared," she said to me. I walked from behind her, keeping a distance from the snail named Grub, never turning away from him. My back hits someone and when I whirl around, a man was behind me. He had shaggy, dirty brown hair and wore a type of grey shirt with brown pants and brown boots covered by some green armor.

I avoided his face by looking at my shoes. "Don't worry about Grub," he tells me, and I recognize him as the third voice. "He can't do any harm even if he tried." "I'm right here you know." I laugh a little bit then finally looked at his face. He was slightly tanned and fairly freckled. But what caught my attention was his eyes. They were dark brown and so familiar. "Who are you?" I ask him.

For a split second, he looks like he doesn't know what to say. "Name's Nod," he said, holding out his hand. I shake it and feel calluses on his fingertips, because they were the only things that weren't covered. I looked past him to a man with white hair and in armor. "That's Ronin," I hear my mom say. The man looks serious but for some reason I felt like he was actually kind.

The fat slug shoved Nod aside and smiled. "'Sup?" I just stare at him as Nod tried to shove him out of the way. "This is Mub," he said, fighting with the creature. Then I looked at the last three people in the room. There was a girl about my age wearing a dress made of rose petals and had hazel eyes with pale skin, and black boots. She reminded me of Pam. She even wore her hazel hair like her.

Next to her was a naïve looking boy that wore a long sleeved blue shirt with green pants that I already knew was made of leafs. I think he's wearing sandals, and his hair was blonde and combed back while his eyes were light green. Next to him was a boy in a short sleeved dark green shirt with white shorts and brown boots. He had jade green eye and curly brown hair almost touching his shoulders.

I walked to them, feeling very, very confused and uncomfortable. "Hi," I said, feeling slightly award. "Like you heard I'm, um, Lotus Flower. But you can call me Lotus or L.F." The girl smiles and starts speaking. "Hi! I'm Flores! The boy in blue is Nabil, and Mr. Frowny over there is Davul. We're happy to meet you, Flower," she said. I frowned when she used the 'Flower' part of the name.

"A little note about me, the last person that called me that got hit in the stomach," I tell this girl named Flores. She quickly apologizes as the boy called Nabil walks up to me. "Hey, so, do you like archery?" he ask. _Is he hitting on me?_ I wonder as he winks at me. "Wouldn't know," I reply, going around him, "never tried." Lie. I did try archery once. But I didn't know if I liked it or hated it. So it kinda isn't.

I stand in front of Davul and he just looks me up and down. "Hi," I say, "again." "Hey," he says, leaning onto the wall, noticing his voice as the one that wanted to hit me. Before I can say anything else I start feeling dizzy. "I don't feel so good," I say, clutching my forehead. "Here I'll help you outside," I hear Davul say. I look up to see he's reaching for me but I hold up a hand. "I don't know you, so don't touch me," I say. "Plus, you wanted to hit me." Before he could say anything I snap at him. "Just lead me."

I see him nod and I follow him out. I hear the others footsteps but don't slow down. But when I exit the building, my jaw drops. Giant flowers, trees, and lily pads surround me, along with a giant mass of water surrounding what I'm standing on. When I turn around I see that I'm standing on a giant version of the rock I had drawn. "Okay, I think I'm ready for an explanation," I say, turning to my mother.

She's standing next to Ronin, Nod, Mub, and Grub. "You know where you are. Remember the stories," is all she says. I replay all the stories I've known and come to an impossible conclusion. "Oh, no," I say, refusing to believe. "Yup, and we need to go," Nod said, leading us to giant hummingbirds lined up and ready to fly. As we mounted, I knew I looked like I was in a daze.

Somehow, this felt familiar. Like I've done this before. "Don't worry," Davul says as he lands his bird next to mine. "It takes a while to learn how to ride these." I rolled my eyes as I watched Nod start to fly away. I flicked the reins and my bird took off. My entire body jerked as I went into the air. I quickly regained balance as I steered my bird around a tree.

"How are you so good at this?" I turn my head to find Flores flying next to me. "I don't know," I say as I kept my eyes looking straight forward. I don't now how but, this feels right. Like this suites me. But that's impossible. My mother... My mother! I look towards her and she looks like she's been doing this for years! Right now I see a completely different side of her other than smart, mature, and sophisticated. Adventures, fun loving, and free spirited.

I see Nod flying next to her and I read how he is. He seems reckless, a slacker, a wild spirit, and a rebel. I note that Nod and my mother look like they've known each other for years. But...does that mean that she's been like this before? Before I could even debate on it I wonder how I'm good at flying a hummingbird. My mother, according to my grandpa, wasn't born like this.

So that meant that I'm somehow related to the Leafmen. But how can that be? I'd have to ask mom later because we landed on another part of the rock in front of a giant gap in it. I dismounted and followed everyone into the rock. We walked till we entered a throne room and standing in front of the throne was a woman with a flower on her head instead of hair.

"Hello, Lotus Flower," she said. I was too stunned to speak as she continued. "Welcome to Moonhaven."

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **Sorry that this hasn't been posted sooner.**

 **And I know that I haven't been updating all my other incomplete stories in a while.**

 **It's just been busy for me in the past few weeks.**

 **But I can tell you that I'm working on them right now so watch out for them.**

 **Peace!**


	3. My Powers

"Okay, okay, no," I say to no one in particular. "Moon Haven is not real," I say, a little laugh in my words. "Moon Haven is just a story. A tale my mother and grandfather told me when I was little." "It wasn't a 'tale', Lotus," Mom said. I look at her. Her face was serious. "This... This is all a dream," I say to her. "Right now, I'm still in the forest, temporarily unconscious because I probably ran into a low branch. It is still May 15 and-" "It's May 16," Ronin tells me.

I stop in my tracks. I reach down into my bag. I feel the smooth screen of my phone, it had shrunken with me. I sigh in relief as I pull it out. I turn it on. It still has full battery. I barely used it today...Or yesterday, if Mom is right. My eyes are wide right now. It _is_ May 16. Not only that, but it was 11:37 A.M.! When I had left school and went into the forest it was 3:26 P.M. I've been unconscious for seven hours and eleven minuets! Correction, seven hours and _sixteen_ minuets if I faint now.

I look back at the queen. She just smiles. I slip my phone back into my bag and step in front of her. "If this whole thing is real, then what am I doing here?" The queen turned around gracefully and walked down a hallway. "Come with me," she says. I look back at Mom. She nod's. I look at Ronin and Nod. They do the same. I look at Flores, Nabil, and Davul. Flores just smiles and mouths 'go' while shooing with her hands. Nabil gives me a thumbs up, and Davul acts like he doesn't care, which annoys me for some reason.

I turn back around and run to catch up to the queen. I quickly fall in step with her. I have always been good in the sports category, but I don't know if I like it. Something tells me that I'm gonna find out what I like in a few days. Notice how I'm saying only like and not dislike as well. Even if I hardly know my mom and never met my father, it was easy for me to find out what I don't like.

I don't like when people mistreat nature, I hate when I see trash anywhere other than a garbage can or recycling bins, I hate the smell of cigarettes and alcohol, despised non-environmentally safe landfills, horror movies(when I'm watching them alone). I also don't like pepper jack, bologna, mayonnaise, _very_ short skirts and shorts(unless wearing leggings under them), and tattooed people. And piercings anywhere other than your ears .

The queen stops in a room full of flowers that hadn't bloomed yet and some that were dying or already dead. "Touch one," she said. I look around and notice the flowers facing me. And as I'm walking, the seem to follow me. I wonder why. I look to my right and spot a small, dried up flower. I walk up to it, feeling sorry for it. _This was probably the most beautiful flower in here_ , I think as I stretch my hand out to it. I picture it fully bloomed, blue at the center, turning purple at the ends.

When my hand is on it, it's like it's life had been reversed. It turned into a giant, beautiful rose, just like how I imagined it. I gasp as I step back, amazed. It all makes sense now. For as long as I can remember, plants seem to connect with me. It's like they know me, obey me, worship me. Okay, I'm exaggerating. They seem to look at me in their own way. And some actions and feelings , even the smallest ones, seem to effect them.

One time, in kindergarten, my science teacher, Mrs. Johnson, took us to took the class to the zoo. It was going fine till we went to the butterfly sanctuary. There were a bunch of plants around with butterflies resting on them. There was a blue one on a daisy and I wanted to touch it. But it flew away when my index finger and thumb pinched the stem of the flower softly. Seconds later, the flower and it's bush had grown as tall as the roof and had wrapped itself around me.

The next year in summer, I was dared to climb a giant oak tree near the house by a mean girl that had forced Pam to take her to my house. Pam said that the girl wanted me to get hurt because we were both trying out for the soccer team, and she knew that I would outrank her. But it didn't work. I would've broken a few things, but it was like the tree wanted to save me because one of its branches reached out and snagged my shirt when I had fallen after climbing halfway up.

And just last semester, when I was hanging out in the back lawn of the school during lunch, I had leaned against the wall where a small patch of vines with flower buds on it was growing. The instant my back hit the patch, the vines shot up to the top of the wall and spread about fifteen feet wide on both sides of me, flowers fully bloomed. When I told my mom she said that I was imagining, but I could tell it wasn't my imagination. I didn't imagine much stuff because I don't know who I am.

But that was just when I made contact with plants. One time, when I was five, I was throwing a tantrum because my mom wouldn't let me get a real flower necklace at this farmers market. And, like sensing my emotions, a nearby tree had it's branches pull back my mom as another got one of the necklaces and put it around my neck. My mom said nothing, she just brought me home and locked me in my room, only coming in to bring me my dinner.

But then something my mom mentioned in the stories made me think something. "But only the queen can have this kind of power." The queen nodded. "That's true, but for some reason my rein of being queen was destined to end early. There is to be a pod ceremony later today." I remembered what my mom said about pod ceremonies. That they normally happen once every hundred years. Where the lily pod the recent queen chose blooms under the light of the full moon to find the new queen. But if it blooms in darkness, it will give birth to a dark ruler. I shudder at that thought.

"So, I'm the next queen?" I ask her as I touched more of the flowers, each blooming. "It appears so," she replies as she leads me out of the room and back to the throne room. "But I'm... What your world calls a 'Stomper.'" "Don't believe everything you know," the queen said as we stepped back into the throne room. "We need to get to the ceremony," Nod said as we entered.


End file.
